Recent Japanese Films in HK

[Li Hoo Cheong]

<Hana-bi> was screened on Sunday (5 April) night here at the
21st Hong Kong International Film Festival.  All the tickets were sold
out by postal booking two weeks before the screening.  I only
got the chance to see it by asking for a complimentary ticket.

<Kids Return> was screened on Monday (6 April) night.  Although
I managed to buy a ticket at counter booking, it was for seats
on the upper-circle (third storey) of a big theatre.  Since I 
viewed <Kids Return> on video once before, this "distant" 
watching was still acceptable.  I was told that <Kids Return> 
had already been shown on TV by SBS (Special Broadcasting Station) 
in Australia.

Both films will be shown commercially here later in the year.

<The Eel> and <Focus> are being shown commercially, and a DVD version
of <The Eel>, produced in Taiwan with Chinese subtitles, 
is already on the market.

<Hana-bi> is definitely one of the top ten films in the 1990s.
Watching it reminds me of the films of Jean Pierre Melville and
Robert Bresson.  Its striking images of loneliness and destiny 
are unforgettable.

H. C. Li